


Amelie

by Nikki_Herzog



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:11:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8334001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikki_Herzog/pseuds/Nikki_Herzog
Summary: When a nun appears on Athos door, he's unaware she brings something it will change Athos and Sylvie family life.





	1. Chapter 1

Sylvie was tending her chores on the kitchen of the small farm Athos and her have settled just few moths ago. it still needing some work but finally was functional, just in time when her growing bump had began to make difficult some of them. She was humming to herself meanwhile she cooked dinner when a knock on the door interrupted her. She was surprised when she found a nun at the other side.

'Good Morning Madame.' Said the nun.

'Good Morning,' said Sylvie, 'how can I help you?'

'Is this the house of Monsieur de la Frere?' said the nun. 'My name is Sister Adeline, I came from Paris with a message for him.'

'My husband is on the backyard.' Said Sylvie 'Let me go and fetch him. Take sit inside.'

Sylvie went as quickly as she could to fetch Athos who was working in make a little herb garden for Sylvie on the backyard.

'A nun from Paris?' Said Athos 'Looking for me? I don't have the faintest idea of how about it can be.'

'Maybe one of the boys wants something from you.' Said Sylvie.

'No, it can't be.' Said Athos 'They would have send an official messenger, not a nun.'

'You must be Monsieur de la Frere.' Said Sister Adeline at see him appearing through the door.

'Pleased to meet you, Sister Adeline.' Said Athos, sitting along with Sylvie in their little living room. 'I have understand that you have a message for me.'

'I was entrusted with an important duty by Madame de la Frere.' Said Sister Adeline before look at Sylvie and added, 'Well, by the first Madame de la Frere.'

Athos tensed immediately at the though of Milady using again his name, wondering what had driven her now to try to contact him after all that time.

'What does she want now?' Asked Athos.

'I'm sorry of have to be the deliverer of this news, but Madame de la Frere, a benefactor of our congregation for some years, sadly passed away few days ago, smallpox.' said Sister Adeline.

Athos' breath halted for a bit meanwhile Sylvie gasped.

'Smallpox?' Asked Athos, incredulous that after all her first wife had survived on her life, it had been something as stupid as smallpox what had killed her.

'Her last wish was for us to bring her dearest possession to you.' Said Sister Adeline.

'What is it?' Said Athos.

Sister Adeline got up of her chair and walked to the door.

'Amelie, come here!' Said Sister Adeline, coming back with a little girl, not more than six years old. 'This is Amelie, Madame de la Frere's daughter, and yours, monsieur.'


	2. Chapter 2

'What did you just said?' Said Athos, feeling breathless.

'What you just heard,' said Sister Adeline, 'the last wish of Madame de la Frere was for us to give her daughter to the custody of her father, Monsieur Olivier d'Athos de la Frere. Is that you, is it not?'

'It cannot be.' Said Athos.

'Daddy?' Said the little girl running towards him, she had black curly hair and the same smile that his first wife, but her eyes weren't green as hers; they were blue, as his. 'It's really you, I know you are.'

'How?' Asked Athos 'I've never seen you up to this day.'

'Mama gave me this,' said Amelie getting from inside her travelling cloak an oversized for her age locket, Athos opened carefully for find inside a miniature portrait of Milady and one of him. 'Mama told me about you, that you were a musketeer, the bravest man she ever knew.'

Athos let the locket fall in Amelie's chest before run away from the room. He went to the kitchen and started to search frantically for the jug of wine they kept there. He didn't drink as much as he used to, but the hell that he needed a drink at that moment.

His mind was running around trying to understand. She couldn't be his daughter, it wasn't possible. But her name, Amelie was his mother's name, and her eyes. His mind filled up with flashes of a cursed night, a lifetime ago, when Milady had suddenly appeared at his old room in Paris. How they drunk and talked about what they were to doing with Rochefort, how she said something about put him on a cannon and fired him up over the Spanish border which made him laugh, how they kissed and made love and how she disappeared the next morning meanwhile he went for some breakfast, only to appear again days later asking him to runaway to England.

Did they really conceived a child that night? Was she really pregnant with his child when she asked him to run away with him? No, it couldn't be possible.

He had drunk three glasses of wine in a row and was pouring himself the fourth when Sylvie appeared on the kitchen door.

'I think there's an old bed dismantled on the barn, you'll have to go and put it up on the small room.'

'Why?' Asked Athos.

'Amelie needs a place to sleep.' Said Sylvie.

'She's not staying.' Said Athos.

'Of course she is,' said Sylvie, 'she's your daughter, this is her place.'

'She's not my daughter!' Said Athos.

'Olivier!' Said Sylvie.

'You didn't know her,' said Athos, 'she was the most deceitful woman, you can't believe whatever she said.'

'Oliver, sit and calm down' Said Sylvie before take the glass from him, make him sit down on a chair and kneel before him.

'Sylvie, you can't...' Said Athos trying to tell Sylvie that that wasn't a good posture for her bump.

'Look at me, I know what Milady de Winter did to you, you told me,' said Sylvie , 'but look at her, she's got your mother's name, she's got your eyes, her mother told her about you. You can try to deny it but in the deep of your heart, you now she's your daughter.'

'How can you be so receptive about her?' Asked Athos.

'Because she's yours, and by the words of the priest who married us, everything yours is mine too.' Said Sylvie. 'If I told you I had a child, you wouldn't accept it?'

'Of course I would, but...' Said Athos.

'But what?' Asked Sylvie.

'Nothing,' said Athos with a sigh, 'you're right. What I did for deserve someone like you?'

'Be yourself.' Said Sylvie before kiss him tenderly. 'Now help me to get up and go for the bed. I'll prepare something else for dinner, that stew is not enough for all of us.


	3. Chapter 3

That night, during dinner, Sister Adeline told Athos and Sylvie the story Milady had told them about Amelie's origins. The story had been that after years unable to conceive a child, Athos and her had decided to annul their marriage, after what Milady had gone to live with some relatives in England, only for discover herself with child few weeks later. Unable to contact with Athos due to the war, she just kept Amelie's existence to herself, even after come back to Paris and entrust Amelie's care to the convent.

'Mother Agathe used to try to convince her that it was for the best, both yours and Amelie's, to tell you the truth,' said Sister Adeline, 'but she refused, saying that it was too late, that you have already begun a new life and she couldn't, and didn't want, interfere on it.

Athos didn't say a word during the dinner, he just sit there and keep looking at Amelie, eating happily her stew and sometimes staring back at him with a smile. 

'Mama came to see me each week,' said Amelie, 'she brought to me sweets and took me to carriage trips around Paris.'

'That sounds really fun.' Said Sylvie to her.

'I miss her.' Said Amelie.

'My mother also die when I was young,' said Sylvie, 'I can imagine how do you feel, Sweetheart.'

Sister Adeline stayed with them for the night, parting back to Paris in the mail carriage next morning, leaving with them two trunks, one with Amelie's belongings and another one with some gowns and jewels her mother wanted to be hers when she was old enough for use them.

 

The first days were weird for Athos, a part of him was still fighting with the idea of accept Amelie as his and Milady's daughter, but for other side, he loved to observe her and Sylvie, they have bonded almost immediately, quasi magically, and now Amelie was Sylvie's little shadow, aiding her through her daily chores. One day he couldn't stop himself of observing them, hidden behind a door, meanwhile they did some sewing work.

'Sylvie, look at this.' Said Amelie, showing her a little baby hat she had just made.

'Oh, Sweetheart, it's beautiful.' Said Sylvie, for twinge a bit at the next second due to the baby kicking.

'Are you alright?' Asked Amelie.

'Yes, Sweetheart, come here' Said Sylvie taking Amelie's tiny hand to her bump, 'Can you feel that? It's the baby, I think it wants to tell you it loves its new hat.'

'It's going to be my little brother, isn't it?' Asked Amelie.

'Your little brother, or your little sister.' Said Sylvie

'Does that mean that you're my mother now?' Asked Amelie, surprising Sylvie.

'Well, that means that I'm your stepmother,' said Sylvie, 'but you don't have to call me mother if you don't want.'

Amelie got back to her chair, throwing herself to the needlework for a couple of minutes before said.

'Mama Sylvie, do you like Mama Sylvie?'

'I love it, Sweetheart, it's perfect.' Said Sylvie, trying not to actually burst in tears.

It was a couple days later when Athos finally fully fall in love with his daughter. He woke up with the first lights of the day, finding Amelie curled against him in the bed. Surprised, he woke up Sylvie.

'What's she doing here?' Asked Athos.

'She had a bad dream and asked me if she could sleep with us for the rest of the night.' Said Sylvie 'I couldn't say her no.'

'You're going to be a great mother.' Said Athos.

'I already am a mother.' Said Sylvie caressing Amelie's back.

'You're right on that.' Said Athos with a sweet smile.

Then Amelie started to move and wake up.

'Good morning, Daddy'

'Good morning, Amelie' Said Athos.

'Are you mind I'm here?' Asked Amelie.

'Of course not, dear.' Said Athos

'Can I stay a little longer then?' Asked Amelie.

'You can stay here as long as you want.' Answered Athos.

'I love you Daddy.' Said Amelie

'I love you too, Poppet.' Said Athos, before kiss the crown of her head and hug her tightly to his side.

There were plenty of chores to do around the farm, but they could wait a little longer, for that moment Athos had decided to stay in bed, with his family, for a little longer.


	4. Chapter 4

Three months after Amelie's arrival, Sylvie gave birth a healthy boy, Raoul, who soon became the king of the house. Three weeks after his birth, a caravan from Paris, formed by three men on horses and a luxurious carriage. 

'How's been the trip?' Asked Athos.

'Really smooth,' said Porthos, 'just a stop for some lunch.'

'You should have seen the faces of the people in the inn when the First Minister himself asked for a table.' Said D'Artagnan 

'I'm out of duty today.' Said Aramis, 'I don't want to hear the words First Minister until we get back to Paris. And that also going for you.' Added in direction of the small troop of soldiers who formed his personal guard.

Athos went to the carriage to let the women out. First it came Marie, who quickly found her way to her father's arms; the next was Elodie, so heavily pregnant that Athos joked with Porthos about the possibility of have two christenings instead of one, and finally Constance, who surprised Athos by sporting a bump of her own.

'Why didn't you tell me?' Asked Athos.

'I wanted,' said Constance, ' but D'Artagnan didn't let me.'

'Consider it a payback.' Said D'Artagnan.

'Payback for what?' Said Athos.

At that moment, Amelie came running from the house to join them, with her favourite doll on the hand.

'For don't tell us about her.' Added D'Artagnan.

'Sylvie wrote us,' said Constance, 'telling us the whole story.'

'Daddy, who are they?' Asked Amelie once she joined the group.

'These are Daddy and Mama Sylvie's friends from Paris.' Said Athos. 'They've come for Raoul's christening.'

'Pleased to meet you, Amelie.' Said Porthos kneeling at her height.'I'm your uncle Porthos and this your aunt Elodie and our daughter, Marie.'

'And these are your uncles D'Artagnan and Aramis and your aunt Constance.'

'You're also having babies.' Said Amelie.

'Yes, your brother and you are going to have new playmates soon.' Said Elodie.

'She looks like her mother.' Said Aramis to Athos.

'Milady de Winter shocking us up to the very last moment.' Said D'Artagnan.

'Daddy, who's Milady de Winter?' Asked Amelie, Athos had been very careful of don't mention Milady's name in front of her, just referencing her as her mother.

'She was...an old friend of your mother.' Said Athos 'Long time before you were born. So, now, why you don't take your aunts to the house with Mama Sylvie meanwhile we get the horses on the stable.' He added.

Amelie took the hand of both her new aunts and walked with them to the house, where Sylvie was waiting at the door with the baby safely tucked on a sling at her chest.

The christening was quick and smooth, with Raoul sleeping the whole time in the arms of either his mother or his godmother Elodie. After they organised a dinner party on the farmhouse were they were eating, drinking and talking up to the latest hours of the day.

At bed time, meanwhile Sylvie organised everyone on the house, Athos went check somethings around the farm, finding Aramis alone in the stable, with the bit of sadness he always showed at this family reunions because of his impossibility of bring Anne and the boys with him.

'I know you're out of duty today,' said Athos, 'but we still have prepared you a better place to sleep than a stable.'

'I've slept in worst places.' Said Aramis laughing.

Athos and Aramis closed up the stable for the night and went walking slowly to the house. Through one of the windows they could see Sylvie, taking a soundly sleep Amelie in her arms to her room. 

'You should have seen her when Amelie arrived,' said Athos, 'how instantly she started to accept her and love her as if she was her own daughter. Quicker and better than I did.'

'It's easy to love someone who's flesh and blood of the person you love the most on the world,' said Aramis, 'even if they aren't yours as well.'

Athos looked to his oldest friend, knowing that he wasn't just talking about Sylvie and Amelie, but about Philippe, Anne's youngest son, who had born meanwhile he was on the Abbey and whose father was the late King. And they made the rest of the way on silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Philippe of Orleans doesn't appear on the series, but as a History Geek and a fan of Versailles Philippe, I've decided to add him.


	5. Chapter 5

Time passed and Amelie became an intelligent and precocious girl, the pride of her parents and a dotting sister for the three boys Sylvie bore on a short time; and then in a young woman, dignified heiress of her birth mother's beauty, as Athos could see everytime he noticed the village's young boys looking at her, and gladly for him, without her showing any reciprocal interest.

That was until a new teacher arrived to the village. He was as tall and skinny as he was shy and had arrived to the town with two two trunks of science stuff and just one of clothes.

Amelie saw him for first time one day she went to the school to pick up her brothers after a lesson day.

'Good evening, Mademoiselle. How may I help you?' He said, trying to not look flustered by her.

'I came to pick up my brothers. Raoul, Jean and Thomas de la Frere' Said Amelie.

'They're your brothers, really?' He said comparing the boys dark skin and brown hair and eyes with Amelie's black hair, pale skin and blue eyes.

'Yes, they are.' Said Amelie with a little grin. 'My mother passed away when I was a child, and later my father married again and had the boys.'

'Oh, I'm so sorry. I have offended you. My most sincere apologies Mademoiselle de la Frere.' He said, curtseing at her.

'You're not the first one incredulous of me and the boys being siblings, Monsieur...' Said Amelie.

'Bollan, Marcel Bollan. Your servant, Mademoiselle de la Frere.'

The boys interrupted their conversation running towards her, specially ten year-old Thomas who cling to her skirts

'Let's go home, Mama Sylvie has made stew and there's letter from Uncle D'Artagnan and Aunt Constance.' Said Amelie. 'See you in another occasion, Monsieur Bollan.'

'It will be my pleasure, Mademoiselle de la Frere.' Said Marcel.

Few days later, Marcel appeared at the door of Athos' house at lunch time, with his best suit.

'Monsieur Bollan, what does it bring you here on a Sunday?' Asked Athos 'Did any of my boys do anything wrong?'

'Oh, no.' Said Marcel 'See,... I'm organising a little field trip with the children of the school to do some research about the different plants and animals who live in the area. There are too many kids for me to take care alone and I'm recruiting few more adults for help. And I wanted to ask... your daughter... if she would like to join us. She's got a good hand with youngsters.'

'Of course I'll help you, Mar...Monsieur Bollan.' Said Amelie 'It's sounds a lovely idea.'

Athos looked at both, his daughter and the teacher and later at Sylvie, who was grinning at the scene she was watching.

'I'm not sure if it's a good ideal.' Said Athos.

'Father!' Said Amelie.

'What my husband wanted to say, ' said Sylvie, holding herself for Athos's arm, 'is that it doesn't look a good idea say yes so quickly without know where you're going and who else is coming. Is that so, dear?'

'I suppose so.' Growled Athos.

'We're going to the little forest up north of the village and apart from me and Mademoiselle de la Frere, here present, we shall be accompanied by Madame Cloireaux and Madame German. 

'Maybe it would be better if you find another man, just in case,' said Sylvie nudging at Athos, 'my husband, for example, he was a Musketeer and a soldier. If anything happens, he'd be of great help.'

'An excellent idea, Madame de la Frere.' Said Marcel 'The more, the merrier.'


	6. Chapter 6

The field trip to the woods was a completely success, the children enjoyed to play around, ignoring their teacher's lectures about how to recognise a pine tree from a fir tree, and Amelie, for Athos' disgrace, passed her time always close to the teacher.

'He's a good catch.' Said Madame Cloireaux, the official gossip mistress of the village at one point they were sat under a tree eating some lunch.

'Sorry, what?' Asked Athos.

'Monsieur Bollan, the teacher,' said Madame Cloireaux, 'his father was a very wealthy merchant form Le Havre, he passed away few years ago. He left the business to his eldest son, but he left written on his will that Professor Bollan has to receive a generous part of the benefits every year.'

'And you're telling me this because...' Said Athos, feeling little annoyed.

'Every maid in the village is looking forward to catch his eye.' Madame Cloireaux carried on with her speech. 'I know that the daughter of Martin, the butcher, has been regularly seen around the school, flirting with him without sucess.'

Athos looked around if he could get some more wine, he was getting a headache, when Madame Cloireaux finally reached her conclusion.

'Because I think he's already made his choice, has he not?' Said her pointing at Amelie and Marcel on a fit of giggles under another tree few feet away from them.

\--------

That evening, back in home, meanwhile the boys threw themselves to the dinner and Amelie went to press on books some flowers she, and Marcel, had picked up; Athos went directly to the main room to rest. Sylvie served the boys before they meesed up the kitchen and went to look for Athos, finding him lying in bed, moody.

'Are you not hungry?' Asked Sylvie.

'Not really.' Said Athos.

'So, how's been the field trip?' Asked Sylvie sitting on the edge of the bed.

'No one broke a bone or got bitten by an animal,' said Athos, 'I suppose that means it's been fine.'

'And what do you think about Monsieur Bollan?' Asked Sylvie.

'He's the dumbest boy I've ever met.' Said Athos 'He'd last a day on the garrison.'

'But he loves her, does he not?' Said Sylvie.

'And she loves him.' Said Athos 'I wonder what I can do about that.'

'Nothing, we're doing nothing.' Said Sylvie.

'But Amelie's so young.' Said Athos 

'She's just, what? Just two, three years younger than I was when I met you.' Said Sylvie. 'Not that much difference.'

'But he's five years older than her.' Said Athos.

'And you are FIFTEEN years older than me.' Said Sylvie. 'Olivier, Amelie is young, but not a child anymore. If she wishes to be courted by Marcel, it's her decision, and the only thing we can do is support her, whatever outcome their relationship gets.'

'Now, we're calling him Marcel.' Said Athos

'Well, it is his name.' Said Sylvie.


	7. Chapter 7

'May I accompany you to your house this evening?' Said Marcel to Amelie at the school gate the next Monday, offering his hand.

'If we pass for the main square together, everyone in the village is going to think we're courting.' Answered Amelie.

'What if I would wish to do exactly that?' Said Marcel.

'What exactly?' Amelie asked back.

'Court with you.' Said Marcel 'Amelie, my heart belongs to you from the very first moment I saw you here, looking for your brothers. I look forward to the end of day as much as the children do, because I know I will see you and talk to you. I...' Amelie interrupted him by kissing him, provoking a wave of cheers and whistles from the children. 'I'll take that as a yes.'

'Let's go boys.' Said Amelie, locking herself around Marcel's arm. 'Marcel is coming with us now.'

The Square was full of people as every market day and Amelie and Marcel could hear some of the hubbub when some children told their parents about the love declaration and the kiss at the school doors, but they didn't mind them.

'I told you they were going to end up together.' Said Madame Cloireaux to Madame German.

They walked the whole mile between the village and the farm on their own, looking barely aware even of Amelie's brother's and other children who lived on the farm lands. They were with each other and that's what it counted.

'Oh, look at this.' Said Sylvie to Athos when she saw them from one window.

'God help us.' Said Athos.

'They do a lovely couple, don't they, Olivier?' Answered Sylvie.

'Well, we have arrived.' Said Amelie, kissing his cheek 'See you tomorrow after school.'

'I'll be counting the seconds until then.' Said Marcel, beginning his way back to the village until Sylvie interrupted him.

'Marcel, wait, stay here for dinner!'

The courtship was quick and swift and Marcel quickly become a fully integrated member of the De la Frere household; accompanying Amelie on her daily trips from the school, taking dinner at the farm regularly, sitting on their bench at the church on the Sunday mass and even learning about some of the farm chores, so he could win over Athos' remaining doubts by the suggestion of Sylvie and Amelie.

Seven months later, one day Athos was on the stables, repairing a door a horse had kicked out, Marcel suddenly appeared to talk with him.

'Amelie is in the back garden, if you're looking for her.' Said Athos to him.

'I wanted to talk with you first.' Said Marcel, before take a couple of deep breaths and continued, 'I wish to ask her to marry me and I want your permission and blessing.'

Athos let his tool fall to the floor and look at the nervous man in front of him. 'Amelie is my only daughter, I'll give you my blessing if you promise me to make sure she'll always be happy.'

'I swear to you that her happiness will be my first duty for all days to come.' Said Marcel.

'Then, you have my permission and my blessing.' Said Athos 'Now go and ask her before I regret it.'

Marcel walked to the house at a quick pace, with Athos couple of yards behind him. 

'Hello, Marcel. How are...' Said Sylvie at see him on the kitchen, but he ignored her. 'What's happening to him?' She asked Athos.

'Wait and see.' Said Athos, pointing through the kitchen window to him talking to Amelie. Sylvie saw him saying something and Amelie dropping her herbs basket and throwing herself to his arms and kissing Marcel for a long time before he noticed them on the window.

'Oh, my God.' Said Sylvie 'He's proposing her.' 

'Who's writing Paris to tell them?' Said Athos.

'Probably me,' said Sylvie, 'I explain myself better than you.'

Sylvie quickly put herself to work on a big celebratory dinner with all the family. She put the best tablecloth, the silver candlelights Aramis had given Athos and her for their wedding anniversary and send Athos to look for the boys and tell them, and himself, to dress up on their best clothes.

The children were curious of why their mother had decided to do a big dinner, but they were happy once they knew. Or at least Raoul and Jean were, Thomas didn't accept well the news and run away from the dinner. Sylvie wanted to go for him, but Amelie told her that she'd go for him and Athos followed her a minute later.

He found them on Thomas' favourite hiding place, up the stable attic. Amelie was trying to talk with him. He should have known that Thomas would be the most shocked by the news, he was the closest of the boys to Amelie; Athos thought.

'I can't know why you're upset unless you tell me.' Said Amelie.

'Why you have to get marry?' Asked Thomas.

'Because Marcel and I love each other and we want to live together.'

'But if you get marry, you'll leave and we won't see you. David's sister got married and she just come around for Christmas.'

'Of course you'll see me.' Said Amelie hugging her little brother tightly 'I'll be living on the village, on the teacher's house, up the school. We'll see each other daily and I'll still come here to help Mama Sylvie with the chores. This is my home and it will always be.'


	8. Chapter 8

The normally quiet corridors of the Saint Therese convent in Paris were disturbed for one day by someone running as quick as she could through to them.

'Oh, sorry.' Said Sister Adeline meanwhile she frenetically looked for her friend, she had happy news and she had to share them with her.

'Finally, I've been looking for you everywhere.' She said when she finally found her on the chapel. 'I have letter from Amelie, she's got wonderful news.' She sat beside her friend and began to read her the letter.

'My dear Sister Adeline

I'm sorry if my hand trembles but I'm too excited for the news I wish to share with you.

My dearest Marcel has proposed to me and we are to be married the first Sunday after Easter. I feel like I am the happiest woman in the World.

Mama Sylvie and I have thought in mend one of Mama's old dresses for the ceremony, she says it will bea good way of honour her on the wedding.

I hope you can make it to the state in the day. You know you can always ask Uncle Porthos or Uncle D'Artagnan for a lift; or Uncle Aramis if you don't wish travel surrounded by the children.

Of course, everyone is fine in here. Just Dad is being a bit grumpy about a new horse who refuses to be trained and has escaped from the stable a couple of times already.

And Raoul is still trying to convince him and Mama Sylvie of let him join the army when he's of age. Mama Sylvie is a bit uncomfortable with the idea and Dad tends to talk about needing him on the state, but he wishes no other thing but this, and I think he'll probably win them.

I hope to have news from you soon.

My best wishes for you.

Amelie

PS

Please, remember to put some flowers in Mama's grave for me."

'I can believe she's getting married.' Said Sister Adeline to her still silent companion. 'It looks like yesterday when she was a child running around here. I'm immediately going to tell Mother Agathe and to send a message to the First Minister about the lift to the farm.'


	9. Chapter 9

The house was buzzing with activity, principally feminine activity. Everywhere he could find women helping each others to dress, make their hair up and talking about weddings and marriages- the older women remembering their own wedding days, the younger talking about how they dreamed of that day.

'Well, we just had two days before D'Artagnan had to go,' He heard Constance around 'so, we used that time properly.' She added with a smirk to her conversation partners.

'Oh, Mother!!' Said an embarrassed 14 year-old Anne-Constance before get back to her own arrangements with another group of young girls. 

He could catch a glimpse of Amelie being prepared by Sylvie, her best friend, Francoise, and Marie Vallon, before finally go to find some masculine company outside the house, where the rest of the musketeers and a couple of the farm workers had already take possession of one of the wine barrels destined for the party. Meanwhile he walked towards them, a black shadowy figure, hiding quickly behind the barn, called his attention.

'Have you seen that?' He asked to his friends.

'What?' Said Porthos 

'Like someone, cloaked, walking around.' Athos answered.

'Monsieur De la Frere, it's your daughter's wedding day and you have already been drinking.' Said D'Artagnan, offering him a beaker.

'My little girl is marrying today.' Said Athos, accepting the dram 'Of course I've been drinking. I'd like to see you when that day comes.'

'I think I'm going to start drinking in Anne-Constance's wedding day and don't stop up until Louise's.' Said D'Artagnan looking for his four year-old daughter, who was, at that moment, tearing her new dress by running around playing soldiers with some other small children.

'I suppose that makes me lucky.' Said Aramis 'I don't have girls to worry about.'

'No, you just had to look for a future Queen of France.' Porthos answered him.

'Anne made the most of it,' said Aramis, 'if I'm honest. It's her niece after all.'

'Dad, are you ready?' Asked Amelie behind Athos. He lost his breath for a second, her natural kinship with her mother was even more clear wearing one of her old gowns, a metallic blue one he could swear he remembered her wearing once.

'You look beautiful, Sweetheart.' Said Athos

'Do you think Marcel will like it?' Said Amelie nervously

'We'll beat up his arse if he doesn't.' Said Porthos making her laugh.

'Oh, Uncle Porthos.' She giggled.

'OK, time to go.' Said Athos 'Marcel must be already on the church.' 

He helped Amelie and Sylvie to the cart and jumped to the driver place, where waited until the other carts where ready before begin the way to the village church, thinking all the time that, even in that moment, he was still a bit incredulous that his little girl was minutes away of become a married woman. At the church door, everyone went quickly to find a place inside meanwhile Athos and Amelie waited for them.

'I'm so happy for you.' Said Sylvie before kiss her and Athos and run to her place besides Constance.

'You're still on time of regret it.' Said Athos.

'Oh, Dad.' Amelie answered him kissing him too. 'I think it's our time.'

Amelie checked the train of her gown and took her place beside her father just seconds before the church doors opened for her, locking her eyes on her husband-to-be at the other side of the aisle.


End file.
